Hampton Roads wakes up to another snowy Saturday, more possible this week

February 14, 2010|By By David Macaulay | 247-7838 twitter.com/davidmacaulay

Snowy Saturdays are becoming a regular event in Hampton Roads after residents woke up to another coating for the third weekend in a row.

But the morning snowfall was light compared to the storms of the last two weekends, and most traces of it had gone by Saturday afternoon. There was little disruption on roads, but temperatures remained low.

Vanessa Murdock, a meteorologist with WTKR NewsChannel 3, said there has been reports of up to 5 inches in parts of northeastern North Carolina, up to 2 inches on the Southside and a dusting of snow on the Peninsula.

Totals from the National Weather Service found just 0.2 inches fell in Newport News, 0.4 inches in James City County, 1.8 inches in Suffolk and more than 2 inches in parts of North Carolina, such as Gates County.

The snowfall is in contrast to last Saturday's storm, which hit northern parts of the Tidewater region the hardest.

Little or no snow fell Saturday in the Williamsburg and Middle Peninsula areas.

The latest snowfall was caused by an area of low pressure that strengthened off the South Carolina coast Friday night.

Murdock said there will be a mix of sunshine and clouds for the second half of the weekend, but it won't be warm.

"Highs will struggle to warm into the mid-40s (today)," Murdock said.

Snow had stopped falling in most parts of the Peninsula by 1:30 p.m. and very little settled, although it remained cold.

Meteorologists are looking at two more weather systems that are likely to arrive in Hampton Roads on Monday. They will bring rain that might switch over to snow.

Murdock said wet weather is set to begin on Monday, with temperatures pegged to the low and mid-40s. "Rain will likely be heavy at times. As the sun sets and temperatures drop, rain will change over to snow," she said.

However, snowfall is likely to be light. Murdock said about 1 to 2 inches of snow is possible overnight Monday and into Tuesday morning.

"Timing of this storm will be a big factor in total snowfall amounts," Murdock said.

Numerous local school districts plan to use Monday's Presidents Day holiday as a snow makeup day, but parents should monitor school closings.

Unseasonably cold temperatures have been lingering around the region all month, according to WTKR's Patrick Rockey. The average temperature in February is running 4.5 degrees below normal, and the long-range forecast shows temperatures will be well below normal for several more weeks.

The cold temperatures kept some people indoors Saturday but some ventured out, and the stores appeared to be busier than during the previous two weekends.

Brittmarie Kemmer, a native of Sweden, who was walking in Newport News Park on Saturday morning, wasn't fazed by the snow, describing it as "pretty."

The heaviest snowfall was seen on Jan 30 when up to 9 inches fell on parts of Hampton Roads, the most significant snowfall seen in the area in two decades.